What is a Sigma Alpha Rho Chapter?

By an active chapter, we are referring to one made up of high school students who hold regular meetings and sponsor specific functions during the year. A chapter must have its annual international obligations in order and all its members duly registered with the international organization to be considered active.

How can my son help form a new chapter?

We are sure in every Sigma Alpha Rho chapter there are Brothers who have friends and/or relatives in other communities who are Sigma Alpha Rho material. Your son can approach them directly on the idea or allow the International Organizer or its area's Council Board to know their names, phone numbers, and addresses. He can tell them about SAR and what our great fraternity has to offer to Jewish youth. You son can see if your contact can interest some of his friends in starting a chapter in his community. The Supreme Board will take it from there.

What are the officers in my sonís chapter and what are there responsibilities?

1. Sigma Rho - President

Preside at all chapter meetings.

Remain in touch with the chapter Advisor.>br>

Stay in contact with chapters in his area and possibly arrange to hold joint socials or athletic functions every so weekend

Guide the discussion at the meetings. Motivate his chapter.

Prepare the meeting agenda of items to be brought up with the Executive Officers at the Executive Committee.

2. Mu Rho (Vice President)

Preside at all meetings in the absence of the Sigma Rho.

Assist the Sigma Rho in his duties. Help motivate the chapter.

Act as chairman of the executive committee. As chairman of the executive committee session, he is responsible for calling meetings of the executive board for the chapter as well as presiding at these meetings. The executive committee consists of the four officers of the executive board, (Sigma Rho, Mu Rho, Kappa Mu, and Kappa Beta), the Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Mu Lambda, and the most recent past Sigma Rho if still an active Brother. The executive committee meets to discuss the agenda of the chapter's events and committees before the chapter meeting begins.

3. Kappa Mu (Treasurer)

Maintain a bank account for the chapter's funds. This may either be a checking or savings account. Some chapters may not be able to have a bank account at first, but must strive to obtain the account.

Collect dues and induction fees.

Forward early in the year his annual chapter dues to the Supreme Exchequer and/or the Grand Exchequer if your chapter is a member of a district council.

Present a brief financial report at each meeting and a full financial report at the end of his term in office.

4. Kappa Beta (Secretary)

Keep accurate and concise minutes of the meeting.

After each election, forward the names of the new executive committee members to the Supreme Exalted Ruler and Master of the Rolls.

What are some of the committees my sonís chapter has?

Parental Relations Committee - It has been said, that to a great extent, Sigma Alpha Rho owes its growth and greatness to the parents of our members. Without the support and consent of our parents, the activities of our members would be limited quite a bit. With their support and sanction, our members are free to partake in the full array of activities, which Sigma Alpha Rho endorses.
Executive Committee - consists of Sigma Rho, Mu Rho, Kappa Mu, Kappa Beta, Kappa Sigma, Kappa Alpha, and most recent past Sigma Rho if still an active Brother. This committee sets the agenda for the chapter before each meeting.
Sigma Committee - this is the social committee setting up parties, arranging transportation for chapter activities, as well as to other chapter activities, going to the movies, etc.
Alpha Committee - consists of Mu Rho, Kappa Alpha, and Mu Lambda. The Kappa Alpha is chairman of this committee, which audits the books every three (3) months.
Rho Committee - headed by the Rho Chairman, this committee is in charge of pledging high school men by teaching them the fraternity customs, history, awards, brotherhood, and any other information pertinent to the chapter.
Inter-Chapter Relations Committee - ICR or road trip, as this committee is known, sees to it that the brothers of its chapter associates themselves with Brothers of other chapters via socials or athletic events with one another.
Jewish Affairs Committee - takes care of the religious aspects of the chapter, whether it be going to synagogue, having a Passover seder where each Brother brings dish of food, participating in a local Purim carnival, having a booth at the Israel Independence Day Parade, helping out at Super Sunday with raising money for Israel, acting as ushers and attending high holiday services, sponsoring an Oneg Shabbat, etc.
Athletic Committee - Sigma Alpha Rho chapters have well-rounded athletic programs to carry them through the fraternal year. For the most part, football, basketball, hockey is the main sports, but chapters can have had sports leagues in soccer, roller hockey, softball etc.
Cultural Affairs Committee - This committee goes hand in hand with the Jewish Affairs Committee where one could see Purim or a Passover Seder as culture, but this committee goes much deeper.
Community Service Committee - This is one of the foremost committees in the fraternity. Anti-fraternity agitation has been the greatest enemy to Sigma Alpha Rho and other organizations such as this one. We have survived in spite of it. Our survival and triumph has been due entirely to our fabulous record of community service. We have found that to combat misguided and antiquated ideas about so called useless teenage secret organizations, we had to find some activity which would better our public relations in the community. Thus, community service was instituted in SAR. We urge each chapter to utilize this committee to the greatest degree possible and then to write about it in the chapter publications as well as to local newspapers. At the 1942 Convention, SAR started its "Ambulance Fund," which saw the fraternity donate two U. S. Medical Corps ambulances. They were presented to the army at ceremonies in Philadelphia in April and in Washington in November, 1943. In 1953, the Philadelphia District Council raised nearly $6000 for the Society for Crippled Children. That same year, the Metropolitan District Council distributed 5000 collection canisters for the New York City Cancer Committee. The Zeta Theta Chapter of Wilkes-Barre, PA, helped build a new community center with a $1000 contribution. SAR held its Charity Ball in Atlantic City, NJ for three consecutive years with all proceeds going to the Betty Bacharach Home for Crippled Children. This institution dedicated a room in Sigma Alpha Rho's name. In 1956, the Alpha Theta chapter of Forest Hills, NY held a TAP dance. TAP stands for Teens against Polio. The amount of work that can be done in this field is truly unlimited. One could collect cans for the homeless, cook for the underprivileged, walk in a walk-a-thon, participate in a telethon, etc. Some of the activities given as examples are large events, but it does not have to be of this great magnitude. We are sure that with a little thought, your sons chapter will be able to think of many more phases of community activity.
Newspaper - Printing a chapter newspaper should be a must for every chapter. The spirit of Brothers getting together in a united effort, as well as seeing the results of their work is one of the great rewards of being a Brother in Sigma Alpha Rho. Newspapers in SAR have always been the greatest form of communication between Brothers.
Flyers - Many chapters, in addition to publishing chapter newspapers on a regular basis, publish flyers which are anywhere from 1-6 pages long and which are published between the issues of the newspapers.
Rathblott Scholarship - Probably the finest statement, which can be said about SAR, is that we have the Irving Rathblott Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can read the story about this great Brother on the brother website (www.sigmaalpharho.com). At every meeting, chapters collect donations in a Rathblott Can. Also, many chapters have their brothers' fines go into this can. At Convention, the money is counted up and presented to the fund. Also at Convention, Brothers who have applied to the Judicial Tribunal for scholarships are rewarded by collections in this fund, and is based on fraternal involvement, scholastic achievement, and financial need. Some chapters help to collect money by going around the neighborhood door to door. Others stand outside neighborhood restaurants, with the permission of the restaurant, collecting money for this great charity that helps to put our Brothers through college.
Scholastic Achievement - the chairman of this committee shall endeavor to promote better grades of all members of the chapter. This can be accomplished in many ways. Through the formation of a tutoring program, Brothers who are having difficulty in a specific subject or subjects can obtain tutoring from Brothers who excel in that particular subject. Many Brothers do not even desire to be involved in this committee, but once they understand the certain advantages imbued in this committee; they are more than willing to take part in it. Face the fact, everyone goes to school and some are better than others in some subjects. In today's world, for the most part, you need to go to college to make something of yourself. SAR provides the opportunity to do well in school so one can attain this goal. The Leonard Goldberg Memorial Award is offered by the international fraternity for the chapter with the highest combined scholastic average of its members. This award is based on the weighted cumulative average of the chapter for the year, as well as on their program of tutoring, articles in chapter newspapers, and vocational planning projects.
Alumni Relations Committee - this committee is responsible for the maintaining of chapter alumni rolls and with keeping in touch with the alumni of the chapter.
Publicity Committee - the chairman of this committee is responsible for publicizing the activities of the chapter and its committees.
Political Committee - Although chapters many see this as unimportant, this committee can be a major asset. Politics is life whether they want to see it or not. What better way can you son promote his chapter than to get an alumnus or parent elected to an office in perhaps the school board, local council, etc.?
Archives Committee - Many organizations have made the mistake of not keeping a record of their past history and growth. Sigma Alpha Rho and its chapters are not among these. The chapter archives chairman is entrusted with the job of keeping a perpetual record of the chapter's history. This is done through old minuteís books, photographs, old newspapers and flyers, gavels, chapter banners, awards, etc. Usually the archives committee gives the archives of the year to an alumnus known as Keeper of the Archives.